Using FireStores with Aja?

[Shane Ross]

What camera will you be using the firestore with? In my experience, it is used in unison with an HVX-200 and records all of the formats it shoots into a proprietary codec. Then you have to tell the device to “organize for Panasonic P2,” then import into FCP via the IMPORT PANASONIC P2 function, to convert the MXF files into Quicktimes that FCP understands. FCP cannot read the MXF files directly, nor can it with the aid of a Kona card. You import the footage without the use of the Kona at all. The only use the Kona is at this point is for monitoring and output. Well, those are pretty big uses. It isn’t used for injest, nor can it read the files the firestore records.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Todd Terry]

Hi Shane…

Thanks… you have shed a little bit of light on that. I’m completely ignorant of exactly what ALL the FireStore can do (I only know what it does in theory, and I like the theory), so pardon my poor education on the subject.

We primarily shoot with a Canon XLH1 body married to a P+S Technik converter and Leitz/Panavision cine primes. At times we also shoot with an older (but still lookin’ good) Sony DSR-200… and even occassionaly shoot MiniDV with an XL1. But the H1 is our primary shooter (generally standard def, but on occasion HDV).

We edit in three suites, two Canopus and one Aja. It’s the Aja suite that I’m most concerned about supporting. Its a Boxx machine running XP with Xena LHe card and editing with Premiere Pro 2.

Any of those details help?

Thanks muchly,
Todd

[Gary Adcock]

[Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.] “We edit in three suites, two Canopus and one Aja. It’s the Aja suite that I’m most concerned about supporting. Its a Boxx machine running XP with Xena LHe card and editing with Premiere Pro 2.”

You have no worries at all, the Xena cards support what ever Premier allows, so if the content plays properly in PP2 you are good to go.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

[Todd Terry]

Thanks… yeah I understand that “the Xena cards support what ever Premier allows”… and I’m sure I can import files from the FireStore and they will work…but to what degree they will work is the big question hanging over my head.

I don’t know if any of the file types that FireStore can spit out will then have to be rendered, or will they work in real time? (For example, if I import a Canopus AVI from one of my other machines into the Aja, it’s beautiful… but it still has to be rendered).

If I have to render the files I’m better off time-wise just capturing them from tape so they would come in as ready-to-go Aja AVIs.

By the way, I finally heard back from someone in FireStore support at Focus. He said he doesn’t know of anyone that has ever used FireStore with an Aja system, that I “would be the first.” In fact, he acted a bit as if he had never even HEARD of Aja. Hmmmmmm.

Todd

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.] “He said he doesn’t know of anyone that has ever used FireStore with an Aja system, that I “would be the first.””

Well, sorry to say it, but he’s nuts.

[Todd Terry]

So you have, Jeremy? Does it work well?

Dunno about nuts (a possibility), but he seemed ill-informed to say the least.

Todd

[Walter Biscardi]

[Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.] “By the way, I finally heard back from someone in FireStore support at Focus. He said he doesn’t know of anyone that has ever used FireStore with an Aja system, that I “would be the first.” In fact, he acted a bit as if he had never even HEARD of Aja. Hmmmmmm.”

They obviously don’t get out much. A friend of mine owns a company that has been using the Firestore for 6 months now and they run a Kona 3. I’m sure there are a lot of other examples out there.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Jeremy Garchow]

Think of the firestore as your source tapes. Instead of capturing from tape, you transfer your footage from the firestore to FCP. You would then use the Kona to monitor your footage from FCP.

Simple.

Jeremy

[Walter Biscardi]

[JeremyG] “You would then use the Kona to monitor your footage from FCP.”

And of course, depending on what you’re mastering to, it would also feed your VTR.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Christopher Wright]

With the new 3.01 firmware upgrade, you don’t even need to use P2 MXF files at all anymore. The FS-100 now records 264 minutes of full HD 720Pn in Quicktime format that can be directly imported into FCP without any P2 import issues at all (wasted time importing/transcoding and/or dropped frames). I think I am in heaven. Using the HVX and being able to use the HD footage in either Macbook Pro or G5 with no rendering or having to buy the accompanying $30k tape deck. Quite prudential.